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$82,200–$194,600 to open with no storefront required — then a 6% royalty plus a 2% marketing fee, and up to 11% of gross once local marketing groups are added. Here's the real math.
Five Star Painting is a residential and commercial painting franchise with roughly 245 franchised units as of 2025, and — like Mr. Handyman and other pest and home-service brands — it's owned by Neighborly, the KKR-backed home-services conglomerate. It has two things going for it right out of the gate: a relatively low entry point for a project-based trade, and no brick-and-mortar requirement. Credit where due up front.
But two things in Five Star Painting's FDD deserve a hard look. First, the ongoing fees stack the way Neighborly's fees always do: a 6% royalty plus a 2% MAP fee, plus up to 3% for local marketing groups — an 8% ongoing load that can reach 11% of gross. Second, this is project-based work: average gross sales per job were $4,440 per the FDD, which means the business is won on estimating, crews, and reputation — not on brand license.
This article breaks down what a Five Star Painting franchise actually costs, gives the brand credit for what it does well, and shows how the numbers compare to building an independent painting business with professional systems — once you weigh the true price of a franchise against going independent.
Five Star Painting is a residential and commercial painting franchise with roughly 245 franchised units (2025) and no brick-and-mortar requirement. It is part of Neighborly, the KKR-owned home-services franchisor that also owns Mr. Handyman and a portfolio of other home-service brands. Per its 2026 FDD, the total initial investment is $82,200–$194,600 (excluding real estate), including a $45,000 franchise fee ($45,000 plus $230 per 1,000 population over the minimum). Franchisees pay a 6% license fee (royalty), a 2% MAP fee, and up to 3% for local marketing groups — a combined 8% to 11% of gross sales.
Painting is an attractive category: no storefront needed, scalable crews, and steady residential and commercial demand. Five Star Painting has built a recognizable brand on top of that demand inside the Neighborly ecosystem. This isn't a weak franchise — the question is whether an 8–11% ongoing load is worth it on a project-based business you could run independently.
Per the 2026 FDD (Item 7), a Five Star Painting franchise requires a total initial investment of $82,200–$194,600 (excluding real estate), including an initial franchise fee of $45,000 plus $230 per 1,000 population over the minimum. Ongoing fees are a license fee (royalty) of 6% of gross sales, a 2% Marketing, Advertising and Promotion (MAP) fee, and up to 3% of gross sales for Local Marketing Groups — a combined 8% to 11% of gross. Minimum license fees also apply.
| Initial investment (mid-range entry) | $120,000 |
| Royalty (6% on $400K/yr × 4 yrs post-ramp) | $96,000 |
| MAP (2% on $400K/yr × 4 yrs) | $32,000 |
| Total 5-Year Cost | ~$248,000 |
Note: $400,000/year approximates a 200,000-population territory using the reported 2025 gross sales per capita of $2.12 (2026 FDD Item 19). Royalty and MAP are calculated on years 2–5 at target revenue. Local Marketing Groups (up to 3%) would add more — as much as another $48,000 over four years. Actual figures are disclosed in the current FDD.
Even at a healthy $400,000/year, the franchise route runs roughly $248,000 over five years before local marketing group fees — and much of that is a permanent 8–11% skim on gross, on top of a franchise fee and tens of thousands in required advertising before you open.
HomePro gives you the systems to run a professional painting business — without a franchise fee, without a required advertising minimum, and without 8–11% of your revenue leaving forever.
Start Free Today See Pricing →Five Star Painting franchisees get a recognizable painting brand, a no-storefront model, Neighborly's marketing and technology infrastructure, training, a call center, and a granted territory. For someone new to running a painting company, that lowers the learning curve and provides an established lead-generation machine. This is the genuine value you're paying for.
Five Star Painting is an established name in a fragmented trade, and there's no brick-and-mortar requirement — you can run it from a truck and a small office. That recognition helps close homeowners and property managers who want a trusted provider.
Neighborly's cross-brand ecosystem creates referral potential, and the reported gross sales per capita of $2.12 in 2025 was up 36.8% year over year — a strong trend for the system. Painting demand is durable across both residential and commercial segments.
Five Star Painting discloses gross sales per capita and average gross sales per job across 208 reporting franchised businesses. That transparency is genuinely useful for due diligence — and it's exactly what reveals the project-based nature of the work: $4,440 average per job.
A Five Star Painting franchise costs $82,200–$194,600 to open (with a $45,000+ fee and $15,000–$50,000 of required advertising) and 8–11% of gross revenue forever. HomePro Systems costs $79/month (Sage included) with no franchise fee, no royalties, no territory restrictions, and no franchise agreement. Over 5 years, a Five Star Painting franchise at a 200,000-population territory pays roughly $248,000 in combined entry and ongoing costs (before local marketing groups); HomePro costs roughly $4,740.
| Factor | Five Star Painting | HomePro Systems (Independent) |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $45,000 + $230/1,000 pop | $0 |
| Total Initial Investment | $82,200–$194,600 | $0 (free to start) |
| Required Advertising | $15,000–$50,000 first year | You control your own spend |
| Ongoing Cost | 6% royalty + 2% MAP + up to 3% LMG (8–11%) | $79/mo flat (Sage included) |
| At $400K/yr Gross Sales | ~$32,000–$44,000/yr to corporate forever | $948/yr total |
| Brand | Five Star Painting / Neighborly's brand | Your own brand |
| Territory | Granted territory | No restrictions |
| Operating Systems / SOPs | ✅ Proven, included | ✅ Included in Pro ($79/mo) |
| AI Coaching | No | Sage (AI, voice, EN/ES) |
| Exit | Franchise agreement terms apply | Cancel anytime |
| 5-Year Total Cost | ~$248,000 | ~$4,740 |
HomePro Systems gives independent home-service operators — including painting contractors — the same kind of operational backbone a franchise provides, without the franchise fee, the required advertising minimum, the royalty, or the loss of brand ownership.
Five Star Painting makes sense for an owner who wants a recognizable painting brand, a no-storefront model, and Neighborly's marketing infrastructure — and is comfortable paying a $45,000+ fee, $15,000–$50,000 in required advertising, and 8–11% of gross revenue for it. If you value a proven lead machine over cost efficiency and full ownership, it's an established name in the trade.
Consider Five Star Painting if:
HomePro is the right choice for painting and home-service owners who want professional systems while keeping their money and their brand:
At $400,000/year in gross painting sales — roughly a 200,000-population territory at the reported $2.12 per capita:
| Five Star Painting | HomePro Systems |
| Entry (mid-range): $120,000 | Entry: $0 |
| Royalty (6% × $400K × 4 yr): $96,000 | Subscription (5 yr): $4,740 |
| MAP (2% × $400K × 4 yr): $32,000 | Equipment/LLC/insurance: your own |
| Total: ~$248,000 | Total: ~$4,740 (systems only) |
A painting business carries real operating costs either way (vehicle, paint, labor, insurance). This comparison isolates the franchise premium — the fee, required advertising, and ongoing percentages you pay purely for the brand and system. Add local marketing groups (up to 3%) and the franchise premium climbs further still.
Per the 2026 FDD (Item 7), a Five Star Painting franchise costs $82,200–$194,600 total (excluding real estate), including a $45,000 franchise fee plus $230 per 1,000 population over the minimum. Ongoing fees are 8–11% of gross (6% royalty plus 2% MAP and up to 3% for local marketing groups). Always request the current FDD before investing.
Per the 2026 FDD Item 19, gross sales per capita were $2.12 in 2025 (up 36.8% year over year) across 208 reporting franchised businesses — roughly $318,000 for a 150,000-population territory and about $424,000 for a 200,000-population territory. Average gross sales per job were $4,440. These are gross-sales figures, not profit, and are reduced by the 8–11% in fees plus operating costs.
It's an established painting brand with a relatively low entry, no storefront, and transparent Item 19 data. The tradeoffs are a $45,000+ fee, $15,000–$50,000 in required advertising, and an 8–11% ongoing load on project-based work. Whether it's "good for you" depends on whether you'd rather pay that premium or build independently and keep it.
Alternatives include other painting franchises (such as CertaPro Painters) or building an independent painting company with professional systems. HomePro Systems provides franchise-grade operations, estimating, pricing, marketing, and hiring systems for $79/month with no franchise fee and no royalties. See our study on the real cost of a home-service franchise.
If you have the capital, want a recognized painting brand, and prefer a turnkey marketing machine, Five Star Painting is a defensible choice. But if you can estimate well, build your own lead flow, and run good crews, building independently with professional systems lets you skip a $45,000+ fee, avoid $15,000–$50,000 in required advertising, and keep the 8–11% of gross you'd otherwise pay forever — while owning the brand you build.
Painting is won on estimating, crews, and reputation. Those come from good systems, consistent quality, and good follow-up — not from a franchise license. HomePro Systems provides that operational backbone for $79/month (Sage included).
See also: The Franchise Math Calculator — run your own numbers and see exactly what royalties cost you over 10 years.
Get the operational infrastructure of a franchise — SOPs, scripts, pricing tools, AI coaching — without a franchise fee, required advertising, or a percentage of your revenue leaving forever.
Start Free Today See Full Pricing →Disclaimer: Franchise cost and performance figures are based on publicly available Franchise Disclosure Documents, FDD analyses, and industry research current as of 2026 (Five Star Painting's 2026 FDD). Item 19 performance representations reflect specific reported groups and are not a guarantee of your results. Actual costs vary by market and format. Always request and review the current FDD before making any investment decision. HomePro Systems is not affiliated with Five Star Painting or Neighborly, or any franchise system.
Every major home-service franchise's real FDD numbers — fees, royalties, 5-year cost — side by side.
Read Article →Painting: another major painting franchise's fees, royalties, and 5-year cost.
Read Article →Handyman: another Neighborly brand's franchise fee and ongoing royalty stack.
Read Article →Real pricing sheets, follow-up scripts, and the franchise-grade systems independent operators use to book more jobs — and stop leaving money on the table. Straight to your inbox, free.